Jury selection begins in Monticello trustee's corruption case

MONTICELLO — Jury selection began Monday in Sullivan County Court in the trial of Monticello Trustee T.C. Hutchins, accused of criminally exerting pressure on former police Chief Doug Solomon and, later, then-Acting Chief Mark Johnstone to get his friend Kariem McCline hired as a police officer.

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By Victor Whitman

recordonline.com

By Victor Whitman

Posted Jun. 11, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Victor Whitman

Posted Jun. 11, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

MONTICELLO — Jury selection began Monday in Sullivan County Court in the trial of Monticello Trustee T.C. Hutchins, accused of criminally exerting pressure on former police Chief Doug Solomon and, later, then-Acting Chief Mark Johnstone to get his friend Kariem McCline hired as a police officer.

Hutchins is charged of acting with former Village Manager John LiGreci in ordering Solomon to stop a required pre-employment background check while investigators were uncovering problems in McCline's background, and ordering Johnstone to answer question about what he did during the background investigation. The offenses are alleged to have happened in late September 2011 and August 2012.

Hutchins, a counselor at the Goshen Secure Center, faces two felony counts of coercion and two misdemeanor counts of official misconduct. He faces up to seven years in prison and will automatically be removed as a trustee if convicted of a felony.

LiGreci pleaded guilty in May to misdemeanor official misconduct, avoiding a trial on felony charges. He agreed to testify against Hutchins in exchange for a plea deal that will keep him out of prison and on probation for three years.

Several other current and former village officials are expected to testify against Hutchins.

Hutchins' attorney, Michael McDermott, told Judge Frank LaBuda he's had no recent plea discussions with the District Attorney's Office. DA Jim Farrell told LaBuda he expects the trial to last at least a week, possibly into early next week.

A jury convicted McCline in May of felony offering a false instrument for filing, but two jurors indicated immediately afterward they believed McCline was not guilty and were pressured by other jurors. McCline's attorney, William Martin, said Monday he'll appeal the conviction at his client's sentencing, which is set for Aug. 8.

McCline was accused of concealing past narcotics arrests during the background check. These arrests were adjudicated in the early 1990s and sealed when he was a juvenile and a teenage youthful offender. McCline was required to reveal them when he applied to be an officer.